Resumes Design Guideq

Executive Blueprints, Inc : Executive Blueprints, Inc Creating a Stellar Resume
Resume Instructions Index : Resume Instructions Index
Create Your Portfolio : Create Your Portfolio Make a list of accomplishments, education and previous positions. Gather important facts, figures and milestones. Collect relevant highlights from your life, education and career. IMPORTANT TIP – Measurements and Milestones are Important! Use dollars, numbers or percent when you have them and you know they are accurate. Quantifiable Metrics are good facts to include in your resume. Collect and Identify your Personal Highlights Don’t worry about potential job descriptions at this stage Focus on your unique skills, talents, experience or ability
Select a Template : Select a Template Select a standard Template to use as your outline. Why? Web sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com provide the option to upload a resume in standard format and can automatically identify job titles with associated accomplishments. Many companies and organizations also use a database application or similar software for managing pure text from resumes. These filters do not support colorful bullets, images, icons or watermarks. Page 1 Page 2
Use a Current Template : Use a Current Template Use a current template. Human Resource and Recruiters can spot an old template, so do not dust off the one from ten years ago. Take time to make your document look professional and use it to sell yourself. Organize the documents and thoughts from your personal portfolio into a chronological timeline and type them into a standard resume outline. Be sure to keep track of the accomplishments that best define your ability. Need Examples? Go to http://www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com
Start at the End : Start at the End Work in chronological order. Start at the end of your resume and work toward the beginning. It will make more sense to you as you put it together. Like building blocks of personal development, it will make more sense to someone reading the final product and understanding how you got to where you are today. Start with your education. Then update the bullet points for the first job or oldest career position that you are going to include. Keep working forward in time, from the end of your resume to the beginning. Pay attention to how the responsibility and experience of each position contributed to the success of the subsequent one.
Use Bullet Points & Details : Use Bullet Points & Details For each job, use a series of bullet points to make your statement. Punctuate the highlights with measurements. Examples: “Increased sales 45% in first Quarter” “Increased sales 15% year-over-year” “Directed Regional Sales Growth of 7% in Sixteen Months” “Improved Customer Satisfaction from 87% to 95%” “Managed a Call Center with less than 2% Abandon Rate” “Reduced outstanding receivables” It is possible to measure every position. Identify measurements and quantitative details.
Select Highlights : Select Highlights Select highlight from your personal portfolio. Use this opportunity to emphasize specific accomplishments from your career, or you can use this opportunity to highlight outside achievements. List highlights in bullet form, above the individual career descriptions.
Use Keywords : Use Keywords Above the bulleted Highlights, create a section of bulleted Keywords. Do not take this for granted or assume that this is common. The recruiter and employer will not assume that all applicants have the necessary skills, so make sure that you include as many as possible. Why is this so important? The on-line tools and application filters will search your resume for keywords related to specific jobs, just like search engines search for keywords to identify relevance in a web page or web site. The more matches to keywords, the higher your score. Typically, human resource experts will select the highest scores for personal interviews, and discard the lowest scores before a human ever reads the resume. Avoid having your resume and your talents discarded by an automated process. Improve your score with relevant keywords.
Introductory Paragraph : Introductory Paragraph Create a short paragraph to define yourself. It should only be four or five sentences long, chock full of keywords and buzzwords. Use action verbs like “Managed”, “Directed”, “Accomplished”, or “Achieved”.
Add Spice : Add Spice Review the entire document from start to finish. Modify your bullet points with action adverbs and exciting adjectives where appropriate.
Your Contact Information : Your Contact Information Make sure that it is easy to find your name, email address and phone number. Make sure that your name, email and phone number are prominently visible on every page of your resume.
Review and Repeat : Review and Repeat Look for and eliminate errors.
Create Variations : Create Variations Make multiple copies of your resume and change keywords, buzzwords and highlights to fit different job descriptions. Do not try to make your resume “one size fits all”, but rather make several variations of your resume with different themes
References : References Ask permission from each person to be a reference for you. Do not ever list someone without prior consent. Employers are obligated to call and verify references, and you do not want it to be a surprise. Ask for a written endorsement or letter of recommendation.
Build Your Network : Build Your Network One method of obtaining permission based public references is to use the www.LinkedIn.com network. This is a free service. You can create a personal profile and request endorsements or contacts from colleagues and professional associates. TIP – www.LinkedIn.com also provides a useful tool for identifying connections to other members, and locating available job positions through your network of connections. It is always helpful to receive references from within an organization, and separates your application from the general population. Take time to develop your network, look for familiar contacts and positions in your area, and collect your endorsements.
Submit Your Resume : Submit Your Resume Upload your resume to the on-line web tools and be prepared for quick response. Check your email every day and respond quickly to opportunity. Be enthusiastic and responsive. TIP – If you used the current template provided with this workbook, or a similar template from www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com Then you can send your Resume with a short email to [email protected] Executive Blueprints selects resumes to use as On-Line SAMPLES. If we select your Resume, it will be Search Engine Optimized for Internet Access and posted on the Executive Blueprints web site. This is a great way to get your list of talents posted to on the Internet!
Prepare for Your Interview : Prepare for Your Interview After taking this much time and care to prepare a stellar resume, then do the same preparation for your interview. Invest a little extra time for long lasting rewards.
Checklist : Checklist Ten Steps for a Stellar Resume – Checklist 1. Create a Personal Portfolio make a list of meaningful data and highlights from your career 2. Choose a Standard Outline Select a Standard Professional Resume Outline, Use a Template 3. Work Backwards Add your information in chronological order from the end of the resume to the front 4. Concise, Precise and Measured Use bullet points for each job description, be brief but include measurements and data 5. Select Your Highlights Bullet point your most defining highlights at the beginning of the resume 6. Keywords and Buzzwords Add Industry and Job related Keywords and Buzzwords, as many as possible and appropriate 7. Make Your Own Headlines Write a four or five sentence paragraph to introduce yourself at the beginning of the resume 8. Add Spice Review to add adjectives and adverbs that give energry to the document 9. Check Your Name and Contact Information Make sure that your name, email address and phone number are accurate and on every page 10. Review and Repeat Make several copies of your resume with different themes for jobs and industries Extras References Ask for written letters of recommendation and endorsements, get permission to list Submit Your Resume Submit your final resume on-line and direct to employers Prepare for Your Interview Prepare for your interview with the same diligence that you used in creating your resume
Certificate of Achievement : Certificate of Achievement www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com/certificates/010073.htm Free Certificate of Achievement for Completing this Course! Click on the link below to print your free on-line Certificate of Achievement. Click on the special link above and connect to our web site Type Your Name as you would like it to appear on the Certificate Change your Page Setup or Printer to LANDSCAPE Print your certificate Note – Requires the ability to connect to the Internet and local connected printer.
About Executive Blueprints, Inc : About Executive Blueprints, Inc Business Consulting Professionals Affiliated Consultants with years of Executive Business management and “real life” experience and success Characterized by a passion for learning and talent for teaching. We consolidate experience and relevant information into seminars, self-paced tutorials, coaching and targeted support Projects to accommodate the demands of modern management.www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com
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